The family of a decorated D-Day hero have issued a heartfelt appeal for mourners to gather and give him a proper final farewell, following his peaceful passing at the age of 99. Rifleman Jim Justice, a great-grandfather of ten, lived an extraordinary life marked by immense bravery and quiet humility, having stormed the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944.
A Life of Courage and Secrecy
For decades after returning home to a civilian life as a warehouseman in Crawley, West Sussex, Mr Justice concealed his wartime heroics from his own family. It was only upon reaching the age of 60 that he began to share the harrowing and heroic stories of his service. These included his mother Ellen's defiant attempts to stop his enlistment at 17, which saw her contact a local MP in Islington, North London, in a futile effort to prevent him from joining up.
The Normandy Landings and Beyond
Jim Justice landed at Gold Beach in Normandy, where he witnessed the grim realities of war, including half-submerged tanks and bodies floating in the water. From there, he advanced through Arromanches and Bayeux, playing a role in freeing the German-occupied village of Villers-Bocage on the arduous push towards Caen.
As an anti-tank gunner in the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade, he resisted a ferocious German counter-attack and continued the advance into northern France. His journey did not end there; after crossing into Germany and the Rhine during the final push, he confronted the horrors of the Belsen-Bergen concentration camp in Lower Saxony, contributing to its liberation a year after D-Day.
Recognition and a Royal Encounter
His military courage was formally recognised with France's prestigious Legion D'Honneur in 2017. More recently, he was honoured with a royal reception by Queen Camilla at the 80th anniversary of D-Day commemorations in June 2024 and received an invitation to the 80th anniversary VE Day service at Westminster Abbey last year.
A Family's Pride and a Community's Call
The decorated veteran passed away at his care home in New Milton, Hampshire, on January 10. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Joy, and two surviving daughters. His daughter, Christine Derrington, described him as 'a very unassuming, very ordinary man with no airs and graces about him'.
She added: 'As a family we are all incredibly proud of him. Growing up, he was very private about the war but when he reached 60 he started to talk more about it. He volunteered aged 17 without telling my parents and was a young lad on his way to Normandy.'
A spokesperson for New Milton Crematorium, where Mr Justice's funeral will be held on Monday, February 2, stated that he should be 'given the send-off he so deeply deserves' after 'an extraordinary life of service, courage and quiet strength.'
They emphasised: 'Jim’s family have been in contact with local charities and groups and have some arrangements in place, but we would love for the wider community to come together for this one final act of honour.' The funeral service is scheduled to commence at 11.45am.
The family's appeal underscores a deep desire for the public to witness The Last Post call and join them in paying tribute to a man whose modesty belied a legacy of immense valour and sacrifice.
